Over 16000 litres of illicit liquor seized, 45 people arrested in Delhi in 19 days

Cracking down on bootlegging in the city, the excise department of the Delhi government has seized over 16,000 litres of liquor and arrested 45 people from April 1 to 19.

The excise department has seized 26 vehicles involved in violating excise rules and transporting illicit liquor in the national capital.

A senior government official said that a total of 21,594 bottles of illicit liquor have been seized from April 1 to April 19, as against 20,692 bottles during the same period last year.

Out of 21, 594 bottles, 6,600 bottles are Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) while 14,994 are of country-made liquor, the official said.

"From April 1 to 19, the department has registered 47 cases in connection with violation of excise rules and illicit liquor. In total, 16,195 litre of illicit liquor have been seized," the official said.

In the last financial year, the sleuths of the excise department had registered 890 cases and arrested 892 people.

The department had also seized 429 vehicles for violations of excise rules including illegal trade of liquor in the city.

In November 2016, the Delhi government had launched a drive against open drinking in the city.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said that consumption of alcohol in the open, particularly near liquor vends and in vehicles, is not merely a safety hazard but a major problem for women safety in the city.